IRLF 


^^^^^•^» 

GIFT 

B  1.6 

REPORT  OF  THE  STATE  COMMITTEE 


ON 


Soldiers'  Employment 
and  Readjustment 


JANUARY  1,  1919,  TO  FEBRUARY  14,  1920 


CALIFORNIA   STATE  PRINTING   OFFICE 

SACRAMENTO 

1920 


REPORT  OF  THE  STATE  COMMITTEE 


ON 


Soldiers'  Employment 
and  Readjustment 


JANUARY  1,  1919,  TO  FEBRUARY  14,  1920 


CALIFORNIA   STATE  PRINTING   OFFICE 

SACRAMENTO 

1920 


REPORT  OF  THE  STATE  COMMITTEE  ON  SOLDIERS' 
EMPLOYMENT  AND  READJUSTMENT. 


This  is  a  record,  simply  and  concisely  presented,  of  *tl)je-  State  Com- 
mittee on  Readjustment,  its  organization,  method  of  procedure  aiitF 
principal  activities. 

The  .specific  work,  the  detailed  accomplishments  of  the  fifty-eight' 
county  divisions,  and  the  two  hundred  placement  bureaus  cannot  be 
included.  These  bodies  received  their  legal  status  from  this  committee, 
and  suggestions  and  general  directions  were  given  by  the  parent  body, 
but  it  is  to  the  resourcefulness  and  energy  of  the  individuals  and  the 
county  divisions  of  the  State  Committee  on  Readjustment,  of  the  offi- 
cers and  members  that  due  credit  must  be  given  for  whatever  record 
was  made  by  California  in  readjustment  and  reconstruction  activities. 

To  include  only  the  names  of  county  chairmen  in  the  reports  of  the 
various  committees  and  thus  imply  that  they  brought  about  the  results 
accomplished  would  be  manifestly  unfair  to  the  thousands  of  men  and 
women  throughout  the  state  whose  volunteer  service  alone  made 
possible  whatever  was  done.  All  labored  toward  the  common  end  of 
readjustment  to  civil  life  of  service  men,  placing  them  in  suitable 
employment  and  to  put  before  the  proper  federal  authorities  whatever 
claims  were  justly  due  them  for  their  services  to  the  flag  and  in  the 
cause  of  democracy,  and  to  each  and  all  of  them  was  dedicated  and  is 
dedicated  our  humble  labor  upon  their  return. 

Creation   of   State   Committee   on    Readjustment. 

1'pon  the  recommendation  of  Governor  William  D.  Stephens,  the 
California  State  Legislature  on  January  24,  1919,  passed  a  bill  which 
became  Chapter  6,  Laws  of  1919,  establishing  a  State  Committee  on 
Soldiers'  Employment  and  Readjustment,  the  first  to  be  established 
in  the  United  States. 

The  law  specified  the  function  of  the  state  committee — hereinafter 
called  "State  Committee  on  Readjustment" — to  be, 

"Assist  in  securing  employment  for  soldiers,  sailors,  marines,  and  others,  who 
have  served  with  the  armed  forces  of  the  United  States  during  the  European  war; 
and.  shall  likewise  have  power  to  cooperate  with  all  federal,  state,  county  and 
municipal  officials  and  agencies  having  a  like  object  in  so  dealing  with  such  prob- 
lems and  in  the  securing  of  said  employment  for  said  soldiers,  sailors,  marines,  and 
<:tlicrs.  who  have  served  with  the  armed  forces  of  the  United  States  during  the 
European  war:  and  to  stimulate  and  coordinate  public  and  private  assistance  and 
to  encourage  and  develop  federal,  state,  municipal  and  private  industrial  and  con- 
structive enterprises  in  the  meeting  of  these  problems ;  and  said  committee  shall 
likewise  be  authorized  and  empowered  to  aid  in  the  expeditious  allowance  and  pay- 
ment of  all  allotments  and  allowances  provided  for  by  law  for  the  protection  of  said 
soldiers  and  maintenance  of  their  dependents. 

359373 


This  committee  shall  succeed  to  all  the  activities  of  the  state  council  of  defense, 
and'  said  state  council  of  defense  is  hereby  authorized  and  instructed  to  deliver  all 
of  its  records,  files  and  property  to  said  committee." 

On  January  31,  1919,  the  office  force  and  equipment  of  the  State 
Council  of  Defense  were  taken  over  by  this  committee.  On  February  8, 
/1919,  th£  Iffir^fc  imjeeting  was  held.  To  carry  out  the  provisions  of  the 
"above*  law,"  \jr6vernoj-  William  D.  Stephens  appointed  the  following  to 
"as  *.jaoembtf£s  jof*  the  State  Committee  on  Readjustment: 


MRS.  ROBERT  J.  BURDETTE,  Woman  Director  of  Food  Conservation  for 
California,  Pasadena. 

GEORGE  I.   COCHRAN,  President  Pacific  Mutual  Life  Ins.   Co.,  Los  Angeles. 

ROBERT  NEWTON  LYNCH,  Manager  California  Development  Board,  San 
Francisco. 

RALPH  P.  MERRITT,  Federal  Food  Administrator  for  California,  Berkeley. 

JOHN  A.  O'CONNELL,  Secretary  San  Francisco  Labor  Council,  San  Francisco. 

GEORGE  C.   ROEDING,   President  State  Board  of  Agriculture,  Fresno. 

MRS.  AARON  SCHLOSS,  President  California  Federation  of  Women's  Clubs, 
Berkeley. 

STANLEY  B.  WILSON,   Member  State  Board  of  Education. 

J.  J.  BORREE,  Adjutant  General,  State  of  California. 

General  J.  J.  Borree  was  elected  chairman. 

Placement. 

As  a  result  of  this  meeting,  general  letters  were  sent  to  mayors, 
boards  of  trustees,  chambers  of  commerce  and  other  organizations  inter- 
ested throughout  the  state,  requesting  them  immediately  to  appoint 
placement  committees  in  each  community,  utilizing  all  interested 
organizations  and  agencies  in  this  work,  and  to  establish  placement 
bureaus  for  registering  discharged  service  men  applying  for  positions, 
requesting  a  report  on  the  situation  in  the  respective  communities  and 
to  recommend  names  for  appointment  on  placement  committees. 

The  policy  of  the  placement  bureaus  was  to  become,  not  simply  pro- 
fessional employment  bureaus,  but  to  preserve  as  far  as  possible  that 
spirit  of  neighborly  obligation  that  was  evoked  by  the  impulse  of 
patriotism  and  to  treat  the  men  who  registered  at  the  bureaus  as  if 
they  were  fellow  human  beings. 

Within  two  months  there  were  established  throughout  the  fifty-eight 
counties  of  California  200  placement  bureaus. 

Reports  received  from  time  to  time  were  that  every  service  man  who 
applied  for  a  position  was  placed  in  suitable  employment. 

The  obligation  of  these  placement  bureaus  was  put  largely  upon  the 
communities.  The  principle  upon  which  this  committee  worked  was 
that  the  least  the  community  owed  to  any  man  who  had  gone  into  the 
service  was  to  see  to  it  that  he  was  properly  taken  care  of  upon  his 
return. 

Information  that  the  above  mentioned  placement  bureaus  were  estab- 
lished for  their  benefit  was  printed  in  circular  form  and  sent  to  Camp 


Lewis,  Wash. ;  Camp  Kearny,  Calif.,  and  to  the  Presidio  of  San  Fran- 
cisco, Calif.,  the  three  points  of  discharge  for  California  service  men, 
to  be  distributed  among  them. 

State   Employment  Slogan. 

The  following  slogan  was  adopted:  "A  JOB  FOR  EVERY  SERV- 
ICE STAR,"  and  publicity  was  given  to  the  following  system  of 
recognition,  urging  its  use  by  employers: 

"The  State  of  California  officially  adopted  the  honor  system  of 
having  employers  throughout  the  state  place  a  red  circle  around  each 
service  star  for  every  man  replaced." 

The  following  resolution  was  also  adopted: 

"Recommended,  that  the  War  Department's  Circular  77  be  amended 
to  read,  that  commanding  officers  having  authority  to  discharge  are 
hereby  directed  to  release  such  men  in  whose  behalf  affidavits  have 
been  filed  by  employers  certifying  that  situations  are  awaiting  soldiers 
immediately  upon  their  release;  also,  soldiers  whose  retention  in  the 
service  brings  hardships  upon  dependents." 

A  copy  of  this  resolution  was  sent  by  telegraph  to  the  United  States 
War  Department,  to  the  Senators  and  Congressmen  of  California. 

Discouragement   of    Unauthorized    Solicitation   of   Funds. 

At  a  meeting  held  in  Los  Angeles.  February  11,  1919,  the  following 
resolution  was  unanimously  adopted  and  issued  as  a  statement  of  policy 
of  this  committee : 

"Tin-  Slate  Committee  on  Readjustment,  having  succeeded  to  the 
activities  of  the  State  Council  of  Defense,  will  maintain  the  very 
necessary  activities  of  the  Committee  on  War  Donations.  The  public 
throughout  the  state  is  therefore  now  requested  not  to  subscribe  to  any 
war  activity  which  has  not  received  the  formal  endorsement  of  this 
State  Committee  on  Readjustment.  Public  attention  is  called  at  the 
present  time  to  irresponsible  and  purely  voluntary  efforts  for  the  relief 
of  discharged  soldiers.  The  very  great  and  proper  sympathy  to  meet 
the  immediate  emergencies  for  discharged  soldiers  will  doubtless  be 
capitalized  by  unauthorized  individuals  and  the  public  will  be  solicited 
by  such  voluntary  agencies  for  all  sorts  of  affairs,  many  of  which  may 
be  of  questionable  character  with  no  guarantee  that  the  money  raised 
will  be  properly  used  or  that  such  affairs  will  be  promoted  with  any 
exact  information  as  to  the  problem  involved.  There  will  doubtless  be 
many  individual  problems  of  discharged  soldiers  and  it  is  a  patriotic 
duty  for  individual  interest  to  help  definite  cases  where  personal 
knowledge  is  had  of  the  circumstances.  There  are  now  in  existence 
duly  authorized  official  agencies  such  as  the  Home  Service  Sections  of 
the  American  Red  Cross,  which  are  prepared  to  meet  emergency  cases. 


Voluntary  benefits  for  discharged  soldiers  should  be  discouraged 
except,  where  authorized  by  disinterested  public  spirited  citizens,  whose 
plans  have  received  the  definite  approval  of  the  State  Committee  011 
Readjustment. 

The  State  Committee  on  Readjustment  is  seeking  to  stimulate  and 
coordinate  all  agencies,  federal,  state,  and  local,  to  secure  proper 
employment  for  our  soldiers. 

Every  effort  will  be  made  to  meet  the  problem  as  it  arises,  but  the 
public  should  be  protected  against  unauthorized  and  sporadic  efforts 
for  relief,  and  in  view  of  the  activities  of  professional  charity  pro- 
moters, who  have  great  hopes  of  reaping  a  rich  harvest  out  of  the 
present  situation  the  general  public  should  be  scrupulous  in  its  demand 
for  authorized  credentials  and  explicit  knowledge  of  the  responsible 
character  of  each  event." 

Committee  on  Program. 

A  subcommittee  was  appointed  to  prepare  a  general  program  of 
work,  which  program  was  duly  submitted  and  approved,  with  the 
recommendation  that  copies  be  sent  to  the  Honorable  William  D. 
Stephens,  Governor  of  the  State  of  California,  President  of  the  Assem- 
bly, California  State  Legislature,  to  the  fifty-eight  county  divisions  of 
the  state  committee,  to  the  Council  of  National  Defense  and  to  the 
press. 

Stanislaus    Plan. 

This  committee  approved  the  Stanislaus  Plan,  as  heretofore  carried 
on  by  the  State  Council  of  Defense  during  the  war  period,  which  had 
been  established  in  many  of  the  most  important  agricultural  counties 
of  California,  and  decided  to  continue  the  same,  asking  the  aid  of  the 
California.  Development  Board  in  administrating  said  plan. 

Report    of    Women's    Committee    of    State    Council    of    Defense. 

The  report  of  the  Women's  Committee  of  the  State  Council  of 
Defense  was  noted,  and  it  was  decided  to  incorporate  in  a  program 
of  work  many  of  the  valuable  recommendations  therein  contained. 

Stimulation    of    Public    Construction. 

The  Council  of  National  Defense  urged  that  action  be  taken  by  the 
various  reconstruction  committees  for  the  stimulation  of  public  con- 
structional works.  This  committee  adopted  a  resolution,  a  copy  of 
which  was  sent  to  Governor  William  D.  Stephens,  President  of  the 
Senate,  Speaker  of  the  Assembly,  and  the  California  State  Legislature, 
urging  that  any  extensive  building  plans  and  projects  made  and  pro- 
vided by  the  United  States  Government,  and,  also,  by  the  State  of 
California,  that  were  delayed  from  being  put  into  immediate  operation, 


because  of  insufficient  appropriations,  should  begin  at  once,  and  meas- 
ures adopted  for  that  purpose,  urging  serious  consideration  to  the 
advisability  of  immediately  appropriating  sufficient  funds  to  cover 
deficits. 

U.   S.    Merchant    Marine    Policy. 

On  the  request  of  the  Council  of  National  Defense  that  aid  be  given 
the  United  States  Shipping  Board  in  determining  the  national  policy 
to  the  United  States  Merchant  Marines,  the  committee  ordered  that 
effective  publicity  be  given  to  the  request  of  Chairman  Hurley,  which 
was  done. 

Farm    Bureau   System   Bill. 

On  March  10,  1919,  a  subcommittee  was  appointed  to  consult  with 
Senator  Breed  with  regard  to  the  amendment  of  Senate  Bill  556,  for 
the  purpose  of  giving  full  support  to  this  measure  which  made  pro- 
vision for  the  continuation  of  the  farm  bureau  system,  which  was  in 
danger  of  being  crippled  by  the  failure  of  the  United  States  Congress 
to  make  necessary  appropriation.  This  bill  was  subsequently  passed 
and  signed  by  the  Governor  as  amended. 

Bill    to    Aid    War    Risk    Insurance    Cases. 

Recommendation  was  sent  to  the  State  Legislature,  urging  the  pas- 
sage of  Senate  Bill  485,  providing  for  free  certification  of  public 
records  in  connection  with  cases  arising  under  the  War  Risk  Insurance 
Act.  This  bill  enabled  dependents  of  service  men  to  obtain  certified 
copies  of  birth  certificates  and  other  documentary  evidence  necessary 
in  applications  on  claims.  This  bill  was  subsequently  passed  and  signed 
by  the  Governor. 

Modification  of  $60   Bonus   Regulations. 

All  assistance  possible  has  been  given  service  men  in  obtaining  the 
$60  bonus.  On  receiving  reports  of  embarrassments  suffered  by  many 
service  men  in  their  application  for  work  after  having  sent  to  Wash- 
ington their  original  discharge  papers,  a  telegram  was  sent  to  Wash- 
ington, urging  the  War  Department  to  modify  the  existing  regulation 
so  that  true  copies  of  the  honorable  discharge  certificates  duly  certified 
by  notaries  public  might  be  sent  to  Washing-ton  for  the  purpose  of 
discharge. 

In  response  to  this  request,  the  War  Department  amended  the  regula- 
tion and  permitted  applicants  for  the  bonus  to  apply  to  the  nearest 
recruiting  officer  who  would  certify  copies  of  original  discharge  papers. 

There  being  but  two  recruiting  points  in  California,  San  Francisco 
and  Los  Angeles,  and  many  discharged  service  men  residing  at  remote 


distances  from  these  points,  the  chairman  sent  a  telegram  to  Washing- 
ton pressing  for  the  further  modification  as  originally  recommended  by 
this-  committee.  The  result  was  that  there  were  assigned  six  additional 
Army  recruiting  officers  to  various  points. 

War   Risk   Insurance  Aid. 

Appointment  of  volunteer  attorneys  to  give  advice  to  all  service  men 
and  women  and  their  relatives,  as  well  as  aid  to  division  chairmen  in 
all  matters  requiring  legal  counsel;  and,  further,  in  accordance  with 
the  provision  of  the  act  creating  the  State  Committee  on  Readjustment, 
"to  aid  in  the  expeditious  allowances  in  payment  of  all  allotments  and 
allowances  provided  for  by  law  for  the  protection  of  said  soldiers  and 
the  maintenance  of  their  dependents,"  a  department  to  give  aid  in  all 
cases  arising  under  the  Bureau  of  War  Risk  Insurance  Act  was  estab- 
lished in  the  office  of  this  committee. 

Victory   Button  for  the   Navy   Forces. 

A  Victory  button  being  issued  by  the  War  Department  to  discharged 
soldiers,  letters  were  sent  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  and  California 
senators  and  representatives,  recommending  that  a  Victory  button  of 
similar  nature  be  given  to  members  of  the  Navy,  Naval  Reserve  and 
Marine  Corps.  The  Navy  Department  acted  upon  the  recommendation 
and  the  Navy  Victory  button  is  now  being  distributed. 

Occupational    Register   of    Returned    Service    Men. 

To  facilitate  placement,  daily  telegraphic  reports  were  received, 
through  the  courtesy  of  the  Adjutant  General,  United  States  Army, 
concerning  the  approaching  arrival  at  the  Atlantic  seaboard  of  return- 
ing overseas  units,  and  in  compliance  with  our  request,  the  commanding 
officers  of  these  units,  upon  their  arrival  in  port,  wired  this  committee 
the  names,  occupations,  and  residences  of  all  California  men  in  their 
units.  Upon  receiving  this  information,  the  names  were  immediately 
segregated  and  transmitted  to  the  respective  California  bureaus,  and 
the  bureaus  notified  that  the  men  so  indicated  would  arrive  at  their 
homes  and  would  need  placement  within  a  fortnight. 

These  rosters  were  also  immediately  given  for  publication  in  the  900- 
odd  newspapers  and  magazines  of  California. 

The  above  plan  has  proved  of  great  value  in  assisting  immediate  and 
intelligent  placement. 

Miscellaneous  Activities. 

This  committee  acted  as  a  clearing  house  between  the  county  divi- 
sions on  the  one  hand  and  the  Council  of  National  Defense,  reconstruc- 
tion division  and  all  federal  departments  on  the  other. 


Some  idea  of  the  scope  of  the  work  handled  can  be  gained  from  the 
following  brief  notations  which  supplement  the  material  given  in  the 
previous  chapters: 

Victory  Loan. — Assisted  in  stimulating  subscriptions  to  the  Victory 
Loan.  Sending  telegrams  to  the  county  divisions  and  giving  full  pub- 
licity. 

Farms  for  Soldiers,  Sailors  and  Marines. — No  provision  had  been 
made  by  law  or  private  arrangement  whereby  service  men  would  be 
given  small  farms  at  initial  cost  to  them.  Owing  to  the  many  inquiries 
of  returned  service  men,  this  committee  encouraged  the  men  to  become 
interested  in  farm  work,  and  endeavored  to  stimulate,  on  the  other 
hand,  farmers  to  give  service  men  who  might  apply  to  them  for  work, 
an  opportunity  to  train  themselves  in  farming.  The  underlying 
thought  has  been  to  relieve  the  congestion  in  metropolitan  centers  by 
diverting  the  attention  of  returning  service  men  from  such  centers  to 
the  farms. 

NOTE — It  is  believed  that  provisions  should  be  made  by  law  or  the  extension  of 
private  credit  whereby  this  demand  on  the  part  of  service  men  could  be  satisfied ; 
also,  if  the  farmers  would  awaken  to  the  benefits  that  would  accrue  to  the  common- 
wealth by  an  army  of  young  men  eager  to  acquire  theoretical  and  practical  knowl- 
edge of  farming  they  would  actively  assist  in  stimulating  this  demand  for  farms. 

Mondell  Bill. — The  various  bills  before  Congress  relative  to  land  for 
soldiers  were  given  the  earnest  consideration  of  this  committee,  and 
the  Mondell  bill  was  reviewed  and  a  recommendation  sent  to  Washing- 
ton that  it  be  amended  so  that  discharged  service  men  would  not 
require  too  large  capital  to  enable  them  to  acquire  land. 

Land  Settlement  Board. — Applications  of  discharged  service  men  for 
Durham  farm  allotments  were  received  and  filed  with  the  Land  Settle- 
ment Board. 

Forty  Million  Dollar  Bond  Issue. — To  assist  in  the  dissemination  of 
information  respecting  the  $40,000,000  bond  issue,  which  was  sub- 
mitted to  the  vote  of  the  people  July  1,  this  committee  expressed  its 
advocacy  of  the  carrying  of  this  measure  on  the  ground  that  it  would 
supply  employment  to  discharged  service  men  and  put  into  effect  the 
state  slogan,  "Roadism  versus  Bolshevism." 

AVomeii  Advisory  Members. — The  division  chairmen  were  requested 
to  appoint  three  members  of  the  county  divisions,  that  is,  chairman  of 
the  women's  committee,  chairman  of  food  conservation  and  chair- 
man of  the  largest  unit  of  women's  activities  as  an  advisory  bureau. 
Their  duties  were  to  act  as  clearing  house  for  the  placement  bureaus  of 
their  county  and  in  the  hope  that  women  members  would  be  able  to 
stimulate  community  obligation  and  public  construction  in  their  coun- 
ties by  such  intimate  contact  with  placement  work. 


—  10  — 

Service  Men  on  Placement  Bureaus. — In  order  that  the  members  of 
the  county  divisions  of  the  state  might  have  a  more  intimate  knowledge 
of  the  local  situations  with  respect  to  returning  service  men  and  the 
problems  correlative  thereto,  it  was  suggested  that  wherever  possible 
from  one  to  two  returned  service  men  be  placed  on  the  placement  com- 
mittees to  act  as  liaison  agents  between  the  returning  men  and  the 
employers. 

Smileage. — At  the  request  of  Major  Stanley  J.  Coar  of  the  Commis- 
sion on  Training  Camp  Activities,  state-wide  publicity  was  given  to  his 
request  that  all  unused  smileage  books  be  turned  in  to  the  office  of 
this  committee  to  be  forwarded  to  Major  Coar  so  that  the  returning 
soldiers  might  have  the  benefit  of  their  use. 

Cooperation  With  Recruiting  Officers. — At  the  request  of  the  recruit- 
ing officer,  all  counties  were  called  upon  to  type  free  of  charge  true 
copies  of  discharge  papers  and  to  fill  out  all  necessary  application 
blanks  in  these  cases  so  that  discharged  service  men  needing  the  $60 
bonus  and  extra  mileage  might  personally  take  or  send  them  to  the 
recruiting  officer.  As  a  result,  the  recruiting  officer  stated  that  this 
appeal  brought  an  effective  response. 

Nondelivery  of  Liberty  Bonds. — Many  applications  were  made  by 
discharged  service  men  and  women  for  aid  in  obtaining  the  United 
States  Liberty  bonds,  which  they  subscribed  and  paid  for  while  in  the 
service.  Through  letters  written  by  this  committee  to  the  Director  of 
Finance,  Washington,  D.  C.,  the  delivery  of  these  bonds  to  their  right- 
ful owners  was  expedited. 

Welcome  Home  Celebration. — The  original  date  for  the  "Welcome 
Home"  celebration  having  been  postponed  by  Governor  William  D. 
Stephens  at  the  suggestion  of  a  resolution  from  this  committee,  a  vote 
was  taken  throughout  the  counties  as  to  what  date  would  be  favored 
for  a  state-wide  celebration  for  California  service  men,  date  finally 
decided  upon  being  Armistice  Day,  November  11,  1919.  Proclamation 
was  issued  by  the  Governor  to  that  effect.  The  officers  of  the  county 
divisions  cooperated  to  the  fullest  measure,  making  this  indeed  a  wel- 
come home. 

Cooperation  with  Federal  Board  for  Vocational  Education. — Appli- 
cations for  relief  were  received  lay  this  committee  and  referred  to  the 
District  Vocational  Officer,  Flood  Building,  San  Francisco.  In  this 
work  there  has  been  a  cordial  cooperation  at  all  times  between  this 
committee  and  said  officer. 

Rice  Growers. — The  Rice  Growers'  Association  of  Glenn  County 
requested  that  efforts  be  made  to  secure  for  employment  in  the  rice 
fields  a  number  of  discharged  service  men.  At  the  request  of  this 
committee,  the  press  of  California  put  a  feature  "ad"  in  the  daily 


—  11  — 

papers  and  within  twenty-four  hours,  the  central  office,  acting  as  a 
clearing  house  for  the  adjacent  counties,  was  able  to  send  all  the  men 
needed.  It  is  a  matter  of  gratification  to  quote  from  the  minutes  of 
the  association  meeting  in  this  connection : 

"At  a  meeting  of  the  Glenn  County  Rice  Growers'  Association  held 
at  Willows,  Friday  afternoon,  August  8,  a  very  interesting  discussion 
occurred  regarding  labor  for  the  rice  fields  the  coming  season,  and  it 
was  the  unanimous  opinion  of  the  rice  growers  who  spoke,  and  the 
sense  of  the  meeting,  that  the  most  profitable  work  was  done  by  dis- 
charged sailors  and  soldiers." 

Service   Rendered. 

According  to  biannual  figures  made  public  by  Colonel  Arthur 
Woods,  Assistant  to  the  Secretary  of  War,  and  head  of  the  government 
organization  for  reemployment  of  service  men,  San  Diego,  California, 
stood  at  the  head  of  the  list  of  American  cities  in  the  percentage  of 
returned  soldiers  placed  in  jobs,  percentage  being  152;  and  Los 
Angeles,  California,  the  third  on  the  list  with  a  percentage  of  slightly 
more  than  70%  of  the  fighting  men  being  satisfactorily  placed. 

During  the  year's  activities  pertaining  to  readjustment  and  rehabili- 
tation of  returned  service  men,  10,051  special  cases  were  settled. 

The  following  is  a  fair  specification  of  the  various  cases  that  wrere 
handled : 

Affidavits,   bonus   and   mileage 4,714 

nothing    affidavits _—  211 

Compensation,  allotment  and  allowance 1.348 

Back  pay  and  reservists'  pay 169 

Insurance    178 

Liberty   bonds    408 

Whereabouts  of  service  men 68 

Lieu    certificates    125 

Placement    19 

Land    117 

Naturalization    24 

Miscellaneous   449 

Specific  claims 1.221 


Grand    Total 10,051 

The  minimum  specific  claim  of  a  discharged  service  man  is  for  $60, 
that  is  the  bonus;  the  maximum  specific  claim  is  approximately  $500, 
that  is  the  arrearage  in  allotments  and  allowances;  a  fair  average  is 
$300;  showing  that  claims  amounting  to  approximately  $2,700,000 
have  been  handled.  Payment  of  at  least  70  per  cent  of  these  claims 
has  been  obtained  and  the  balance  are  in  process  of  liquidation  with 
every  indication  that  the  same  will  be  paid. 

Of  the  above  1221  cases  were  of  a  nature  entailing  such  legal  work, 
as  proof  of  "birth  of  dependent's  child,"  of  "divorce,"  of  "actual 


—  12  — 

bona  fide  residence,"  checking  up  Avith  records  of  company  com- 
manders in  France,  and  frequently  some  portion  of  the  claim  would 
go  through  every  branch  of  the  War  and  Treasury  departments — 
requiring  months  of  correspondence  and  an  additional  specific  cor- 
roborating affidavit.  Of  these  623  are,  in  full,  completed,  the  balance 
clearing  up  at  the  rate  of  136  per  month  (month  of  January,  1920). 

"Method  of  Operation." 

All  the  state  work  on  readjustment  was  handled  directly  through 
this  committee  or  indirectly  through  the  county  divisions.  Each  county 
division  was  represented  by  a  chairman,  and  the  county  divisions  were 
further  decentralized  into  corresponding  committees  of  local  or  com- 
munity placement  bureaus  and  volunteer  attorneys.  Under  this 
arrangement  it  was  possible,  within  twenty-four  to  forty-eight  hours, 
to  reach  several  thousand  active  readjustment  workers. 

Intercourse  with  the  county  divisions  was  maintained  chiefly  through 
mimeographed  and  multigraphed  "Bulletins"  and  "General  Letters," 
addressed  to  the  chairmen,  secretaries,  and  volunteer  attorneys. 

A  "Bulletin"  was  a  circular  of  instruction,  direction  or  information 
which  did  not  require  an  answer;  a  "General  Letter"  was  a  com- 
munication which  required  action  and  a  reply.  This  material  was,  in 
turn,  relayed  by  the  county  committees  to  their  local  organizations. 

Under  this  plan,  wrhich  functioned  with  a  gratifying  degree  of  accu- 
racy and  speed,  news  or  matter  pertaining  to  the  welfare  of  service  men 
was  quickly  spread  to  every  district  throughout  the  fifty-eight  counties 
of  California. 

In  all  its  work  this  committee  had  the  full  support  of  all  organiza- 
tions and  departments  directly  concerned  in  readjustment  and  recon- 
struction work,  and  of  all  groups  and  individuals  indirectly  affected. 
The  unstinted  cooperation  of  practically  every  individual  and  every 
organization  made  this  possible. 

Bulletins    and    General    Letters. 

No.  Subject. 

1.  Appointment  of  Members  of  County  Divisions. 

2.  To  Newspapers  Requesting  Cooperation  and  Publicity. 

3.  To  Mayors  and  Boards  of  Trustees  Requesting  Cooperation. 

4.  Qualifying  Letter  No.  1. 

5.  War  and  Relief  Donations. 

6.  Buying  Campaign. 

7.  War  Risk  Insurance  Department. 

8.  Placement  Bureau  Progress  Charts. 

9.  Placement  Bureau  Progress  Charts. 

10.  $60  Bonus  for  Discharged  Service  Men. 

11.  Community  Council  Branches. 

12.  Information  on  Location  of  Placement  Bureaus. 

13.  Certifying  Copies  of  Honorable  Discharge. 

14.  Placement  Bureau  Progress  Chart. 

15.  $60  Bonus  for  Discharged  Service  Men. 

16.  Telegram  from  Council  of  National  Defense  on  Placement. 


—  13  — 

17.  Welcome  Home  Celebration. 

18.  Modification  of  Discharge  Regulation. 

19.  Santa  Clara  Placement  Work. 

21.  Letter  on  Placement  Matters. 

22.  Welcome  Home  Celebration. 

23.  Discharged  Soldiers  Retaining  Uniform. 

24.  Report  on  Los  Angeles  Placement  Work. 

25.  Placement   Bureau   Reports. 

To  City   Superintendents  of   Schools  Regarding  IT.   S.   School   Gardens. 
Regarding  Legislation  for  War  History  of  California. 

26.  $60  Bonus  Claims. 

27.  Pasadena  Placement  Committees. 

28.  Welcome  Home  for  Soldiers. 

29.  Better  Acquaintance. 

30.  Wider  Dissemination  of  Circular  Letters. 

31.  Advisory    Bureau    Appointments. 

32.  Weekly  Reports  on  Placement  Reports. 

33.  Appointment  of  Members — Advisory  Bureau. 

34.  Appointment  of  Chairman — Advisory  Bureau. 

35.  Appointment  of  Advisory  Bureau. 

36.  Retaining  Clothing  and  Equipment. 

37.  Additional  Aid  in  $60  Bonus  Cases. 

38.  Placement  Questionnaires. 

39.  Placement  Questionnaires  and  Introduction  Slips. 

40.  Assistance  to  Service  Men  and  Their  Dependents. 

41.  Request  that  Peddling  by  Discharged  Soldiers  be  Discouraged. 

42.  Use  of  Name  of  State  Committee  on  Readjustment  by  Placement  Bureaus,  etc. 

43.  Community  Organization  Meeting  at  Montague,  California. 

44.  Liberty  Loan  Bonds,  Lost,  Stolen  or  Destroyed. 

45.  Members  on   Soldiers'  and  Sailors'  Welfare. 

46.  Special  Division  Meetings. 

47.  Premium  Rates  for  Government  Insurance. 

48.  Volunteer  Attorneys  Regarding  War  Risk  Insurance  Act. 

49.  "War  Risk  Insurance  Act"  and  "Protection  of  Civil  Rights  of  Service  Men." 

50.  "War  Risk  Insurance  Act"  and  "Protection  of  Civil  Rights  of  Service  Men." 

51.  Roster  of  125th  Infantry  now  in  Germany. 

52.  Letter  from  Colonel  Edw.  G.  Heckel. 

53.  Officers  Detailed  to  Certify  Discharge  Certificates. 

54.  $40,000.000  Bond  Issue  for  Good  Roads. 
."».».  Unused  Smileage. 

56.  Better  Housing  Accommodations  for  Men  on  Farms. 

57.  $40,000,000  Bond  Issue  for  Good  Roads. 

58.  Travel  Pay  Circulars. 

59.  Information  Necessary  to  Secure  Delivery  of  Liberty  Bonds. 
CO.  Public  Construction  in  Tula  re  County. 

61.  Exploitation  of  Uniform. 

62.  Sending  Discharge  Papers  by  Mail  to  Recruiting  Officer  in  re  $60  Bonus. 

63.  Soil  and  Sunshine  for  Soldiers. 

64.  Soil  and  Sunshine  for  Soldiers. 
05.  Soil  and  Sunshine  for  Soldiers. 

66.  Soil  and  Sunshine  for  Soldiers. 

67.  Farming  for  Soldiers.  Sailors  and  Marines. 

68.  Aid  to  Recruiting  Officers  in  re  $60  Bonus. 

69.  Aid  to  Recruiting  Officers  in  re  $60  Bonus. 

70.  Explanation  of  Blank  Forms  to  be  Used  on  Application  for  Bonus  or  Mileage. 

71.  Community  Councils. 

72.  Government  Life  Insurance. 

73  Farming  for  Soldiers,  Sailors  and  Marines 

74.  California's  Enlisted  and  Inducted  Service  Men. 

75.  State-wide   Welcome    Home    Celebration   for   California    Service   Men    Set   for 

Sept.  9,  1919. 

76.  The  Soldier  as  a  Student  Farmer. 

77.  Victory  Buttons. 

78.  Bonus,  Mileage  and  Victory  Buttons. 


—  14  — 

79.  Placement  of  Service  Men. 

80.  "America  Day,"  July  4. 

81.  Victory  Buttons. 

82.  War  Risk  Insurance. 

83.  Placement  Reports. 

84.  Program,   Welcome   Home   Celebration. 
8.~i.  Allotments. 

80.  Liberty  Bonds. 

87.  Activities  of  San  Francisco  Placement  Bureau. 

88.  Recommendations  to  Congress  for  Amending  War  Risk  Insurance  Act. 

89.  Report  of  Los  Angeles  Placement  Bureau. 

90.  Treasury  Decision  on  War  Risk  Insurance. 
Postponement  of  WTelcome  Home  Day. 

91.  Questionnaire  Regarding  New  Organizations,  etc.,  for  Discharged  Service  Men. 

92.  Conversion  of  War  Risk  Insurance. 

93.  Form  No.  2308,  War  Risk  Insurance. 

Publicity. 

The  duty  of  the  publicity  and  information  division  was  to  give  wide 
circulation  to  all  state  and  county  news,  and  to  disseminate  all  read- 
justment and  reconstruction  propaganda  by  every  means  possible. 
The  usual  news  channels  were  employed  for  matters  of  immediate 
interest.  The  newspapers  of  the  state  donated  practically  unlimited 
space  to  the  publicity  work  of  the  state  and  county  divisions. 

"Readjustment." — The  initial  number  of  "Readjustment,"  official 
bulletin  of  this  committee,  was  issued  April  1,  1919.  It  was  the  first 
bulletin  of  its  type  in  the  United  States. 

The  employment  department  of  the  War  Department,  Washington, 
D.  C.,  declared  "Readjustment"  "to  be  of  great  value."  The  Bureau 
of  War  Risk  Insurance  has  said  that  "Readjustment"  rendered  "val- 
uable aid." 

Originally,  "Readjustment"  was  intended  to  carry  state  committee 
information  to  the  county  divisions.  With  the  completion  of  the 
county  and  community  placement  bureau  and  the  curtailing  of  circular 
correspondence  "Readjustment"  took  on  more  the  character  of  an 
official  record  of  national,  state  and  county  readjustment  and  recon- 
struction work  and  information. 

One  page  of  each  issue  was  devoted  to  reconstruction  news  solely  and 
another  to  the  Bureau  of  War  Risk  Insurance  work,  a  woman 's  column, 
labor  news  and  soldiers '  legislation ;  and  from  one  to  two  pages  given 
to  California  county  news. 

At  the  time  of  its  discontinuance,  January  10,  1920,  "Readjust- 
ment ' '  was  being  mailed  free  to  more  than  2000  workers  in  the  state. 
In  addition,  copies  were  also  sent  to  the  public  libraries,  officers  of 
state  in  other  states  and  to  the  departmental  offices  at  Washington, 
D.  C: ;  and  the  American  Legion,  at  their  own  request,  were  given  2000 
copies  to  circulate  to  their  posts  throughout  the  State  of  California. 


—  15  — 


Financial   Statements. 

The  funds  for  the  use  of  the  State  Committee  on  Readjustment  were 
available  under  section  5  of  the  creating  bill : 

"For  the  purposes  of  this  act  fifty  thousand  dollars,  or  so  much  thereof  as  may 
be  necessary,  is  hereby  appropriated  out  of  any  money  in  the  state  treasury  not 
otherwise  appropriated.  Claims  against  such  appropriation  shall  be  approved  by 
the  chairman  of  the  state  committee  on  soldiers'  employment  and  readjustment, 
p.nd  when  so  approved  shall  be  audited  and  paid  in  the  manner  provided  by  law. 
The  term  of  said  state  committee  on  soldiers'  employment  and  readjustment  shall 
expire  not  later  than  January  31,  1921,  A.  D." 

The  funds  were  handled  in  the  same  manner  as  those  of  other  state 
departments.  Vouchers  approved  by  the  chairman  were  presented  for 
all  expenditures,  audited  by  the  State  Board  of  Control  and  paid  by 
the  State  Treasurer.  Copies  of  all  vouchers  were  filed,  and  the  books 
verified  and  checked  by  the  State  Board  of  Control. 

The  total  expense,  extending  over  a  period  of  a  little  more  than  one 
year,  was  surprisingly  low,  the  cost  to  the  people  of  the  State  being 
barely  1J  cents  per  capita.  The  financial  statement  following  shows  the 
disbursements  by  months  for  the  period  beginning  February  1,  1919, 
and  ended  June  30,  1920.  The  unexpended  balance  of  the  appropria- 
tion for  "Expenses,  Committee  on  Soldiers'  Employment  and  Read- 
justment," on  June  30,  1920,  was  $21,911.26.  The  cost  of  printing 
and  the  expense  of  distribution  of  this  report  will  be  future  charges 
against  this  appropriation,  which  charges  cannot  now  be  determined. 

FINANCIAL   STATEMENT. 
February  1,  1919,  to  July  30,  1919. 


1£ 

19 

February 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July 

Salaries    

$3,153  22 

$3,037  94 

$2,393  00 

$1,965  00 

$1,766  66 

$1,690  00 

Travel 

470  45 

251  80 

170  15 

6  20 

38  90 

43  30 

Postage    

205  02 

160  00 

236  92 

207  20 

204  30 

115  30 

Express 

16  00 

12  87 

8  32 

4  75 

3  98 

4  03 

Telephone    _  _  _. 

149  59 

160  18 

I'S  44 

106  14 

90  19 

55  88 

Telegraph 

61  66 

49  86 

134  13 

162  09 

142  49 

74  57 

Office  rent 

75  00 

75  00 

75  00 

75  00 

75  00 

75  00 

Printing 

10  48 

100  70 

311  62 

71  13 

75  96 

101  12 

Press  clipping* 

21  16 

11  11 

13  65 

8  63 

9  00 

9  00 

Drinking    water    

1  00 

i  50; 

1  00 

1  00 

1  00 

oO 

Office  supplies 

156  79 

133  23 

103  96 

61  13 

70  89 

39  43 

Miscellaneous    _  _ 

7  05 

26  52 

7  20 

7  70 

6  40 

3  65 

Hall  of  States  .    _ 

250  00 

250  00 

250  00 

Totals 

$4  327  51 

$4  020  76 

$3  585  39 

$2,925  97 

$2,734  77 

$2,461  78 

—  16  — 


FINANCIAL  STATEMENT— Continued. 
August  1,  1919,  to  January  31,  1920. 


1919 

1920 

August 

September 

October 

November 

December 

January 

Salaries 

$1,168  69 

$978  00 

$1,067  00 

$1,030  25 

$975  00 

$525  00 

Travel 

58  10 

Postage 

56  78 

14  30 

71  40 

103  96 

53  30 

28  64 

Express 

3  23 

5  50 

12  34 

7  45 

5  96 

4  45 

Telephone 

68  43 

65  54 

55  78 

51  32 

8  05 

Telegraph 

43  69 

16  81 

27  10 

24  14 

18  39 

7  92 

Office  rent 

75  00 

75  00 

100  00 

100  00 

100  00 

100  00 

76  10 

76  82 

87  38 

316  71 

126  42 

129  80 

Press  clippings 

8  00 

8  60 

8  65 

7  35 

13  15 

7  55 

Drinking  water  and  towels 

50 

50 

2  50 

2  00 

2  00 

Office  supplies  ~ 

Miscellaneous  _    

877 

5  50 

26  26 
24  05 

1264 
50  71 

2738 
60  41 

18  33 
6  57 

1  81 
4  45 

Hall  of  States 

250  00 

Totals 

$1,817  79 

$1  291  38 

$1  493  00 

$1,731  47 

$1,319  12 

$819  67 

FINANCIAL  STATEMENT— Continued. 
February  1,  1920,  to  June  30,  1920. 


1920 

Grand 

Totals 

February 

March 

April 

May 

June 

Salaries 

$525  00 

$20271  76 

Travel 

1  40 

1  040  30 

Postage 

3  40 

1,460  52 

Express  age 

1  01 

$*  00 

91  98 

Telephoning 

42  17 

961  71 

Telegraphing" 

5  58 

$3  07 

771  50 

Office  rent 

100  00 

1  100  00 

Printing 

1,484  24 

Press  clippings 

4  00 

129  85 

Drinking  water  and.  towels 

1  50 

15  00 

Office  supplies 

5  24 

665  91 

Packing    and    shipping" 
records 

51  50 

3  25 

54  75 

Miscellaneous 

210  21 

Hall  of  States 

1,000  00 

Totals    _. 

$740  80 

$5  25 

$307 

S29.277  73 

NOTE.— No  compensation  was  received  by  the  chairman  or  other  member  of  this  committee 
for  services  rendered;  salaries  were  paid  to  the  clerical  force  only. 


MRS.  ROBERT  J.  BURDETTE. 
ROBERT  NEWTON  LYNCH. 
JOHN  A.  O'CONNELL. 
MRS.  AARON  SCHLOSS. 

J.  J. 


GEORGE  I.  COCHRAX. 
RALPH  P.  MERRITT. 
GEORGE  C.  ROEDING. 
STANLEY  B.  WILSON. 
BORREE,  Chairman. 


5579    10-20    500 


THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  LAST  DATE 
STAMPED  BELOW 


AN  INITIAL  FINE  OF  25  CENTS 

WILL  BE  ASSESSED  FOR  FAILURE  TO  RETURN 
THIS  BOOK  ON  THE  DATE  DUE.  THE  PENALTY 
WILL  INCREASE  TO  SO  CENTS  ON  THE  FOURTH 
DAY  AND  TO  $1.OO  ON  THE  SEVENTH  DAY 
OVERDUE. 


•    .'  ,J 

ftl-IV"    Id  iV** 

1   i.  "  LT 

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LD  21-100rti-7,'39(402s) 

859575 


Ce/i 

12$ 

I 


THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  UBRARY 


YC  63013 


